7 reasons to buy art for your home
Buying art and becoming an art collector is an investment, whether you're doing it for future resale, or simply for the joy and pleasure of owning original art you love.
Here are seven reasons why you might consider buying art:
1. To commemorate an event
Art can be a fantastic gift that becomes an heirloom and a memory of a beautiful time, whether it's a birthday, anniversary, housewarming, graduation, or any other significant event that's worthy of celebration.
The only caveat I'd offer is that art, like perfume and clothing, is a very personal choice. So if you're not sure what someone would like, gift cards can be an option, or simply send them to the website of an artist you know they love, give them a budget, and let them choose!
2. As a gift, to yourself or to others
I've sold art to collectors who were treating themselves on a milestone birthday, which I thought was a lovely idea!
Not that you need an excuse to give yourself a gift, but it can be a meaningful way to mark an occasion that's important to you in some way; perhaps on accomplishing a goal, for example.
3. To complete or creating a starting point for a room
Art can be the finishing touch that brings a room to life and ties it together.
It doesn't have to match and coordinate exactly - and I always advocate for choosing art you love, rather than art 'to match the sofa' - but an artwork can highlight the overall tones of the room, and/or bring a pop of eye-catching colour to a space.
It can also be a way to generate ideas for a room's design and colour scheme, especially if the artwork feels significant in some way, or you love the colour palette and want to extend it into your home.
4. To freshen up the energy in your home or work space
If a room is feeling tired or in need of a boost of fresh energy, art can work wonders, especially original art, which carries its own distinctive energy signature.
5. To help you live the values that are most important to you
Art reflects our tastes, our dreams, our favourite colours and subjects and views on life.
Buying artwork and having it in your home, signals what's important to you, and can act as a reminder of the values you hold dear.
Perhaps it's freedom, expressed in a large seascape, or the small details that make up a life, reflected in a small and considered still life.
Art can be a beautiful way of reinforcing and declaring your values to yourself and those who visit your home.
6. To express yourself
Perhaps you're a flamboyant extrovert who loves bright colours and fills your home with large expressive and colourful abstract paintings.
Or maybe you're a minimalist who loves the simplicity of a simple, neutral palette in both your home and your carefully chosen and curated artwork.
Art is an expression, so it's a brilliant way to reinforce and expand on your natural way of being in the world.
7. To create a specific feeling in a room
Want your bedroom to feel cosier? A piece of art that generates that feeling for you can help.
Or you can bring some citrus zing with a painting of lemons in your kitchen, or a luxurious spa vibe in the bathroom.